Trapped invalid perishes despite neighbours' frantic efforts

Fire safety officers are still investigating the cause of the Kaitaia blaze. Photo / Northland Age

Neighbours tried frantically to kick down the door of a burning Kaitaia house yesterday, knowing a man was trapped inside.

But the man died in the fire, which started about 7.25am. Firefighters found the 51-year-old's body in the remains of the Housing New Zealand flat after the flames were doused.

Chief Fire Officer Colin Kitchen said the man probably died trying to flee the one-bedroom unit but both exits were blocked.

The victim's name was not available last night and fire safety officers were still investigating the cause of the blaze, which could have been burning for some time before it was noticed.

The Herald understands the man lived alone.

Anna Karena, who lives several houses away, said the fire took hold of the flat quickly. She called 111 after seeing flames pouring into the sky.

"I went out about 7.25am to wait to be picked up and everything was normal. There was a parcel in the letterbox so I ran to take that inside and when I came back out, flames were leaping from the back of the house," she said.

"The lady who lives in the next flat was crying. She was frantic because she knew he was in there. Another man was trying to kick the door down. A teenage boy got as far as the fence, then the fire seemed to start pouring out of the front of the house," she said.

Mrs Karena was told the man had an accident some years ago, suffering injuries that had made him an invalid, and not very mobile.

"I just felt so frantic for him. To think that poor person was in there. We couldn't even help him."

Mrs Karena said the scene was shocking.

"Everything was buckling and burning. There were lots of flames. They were shooting high into the sky. There were quite a few explosions. It was really scary.

"It looked like the aluminium on the windows was melting ... It was like nothing I have ever seen. It was so fierce, so sudden."

Mr Kitchen said firefighters were called to an incident at the man's house at the end of January.

"It was unattended cooking on the stove," he said.

The man is the second person to be killed in a house fire this week. On Monday night, firefighters were called to a blaze in a top-storey flat on East Coast Rd in Browns Bay on the North Shore.

Police confirmed yesterday that the body was that of a man but have yet to identify him because he was so badly burned.

Fire safety officer Russell Dickson said the fire was unlikely to have started accidentally, but police said they were not looking for anyone.

Mr Dickson said there were no smoke alarms in the house.